The Star Beast
- Episode aired Nov 25, 2023
- 57m
The Doctor is caught in a fight to the death as a spaceship crash-lands in London. But as the battle wreaks havoc, destiny is converging on the Doctor's old friend, Donna.The Doctor is caught in a fight to the death as a spaceship crash-lands in London. But as the battle wreaks havoc, destiny is converging on the Doctor's old friend, Donna.The Doctor is caught in a fight to the death as a spaceship crash-lands in London. But as the battle wreaks havoc, destiny is converging on the Doctor's old friend, Donna.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSylvia Noble becomes the third companion's mother to slap the Doctor after Rose and Martha's mothers back in 2005 and 2007.
- GoofsNear the start of the episode, the doctor unstacks and then re-stacks a tower of 3 cardboard boxes Donna is holding. He starts by removing two boxes, and then replaces one of the boxes before turning around, intending to walk away. In the next shot, the other removed box has inexplicably reappeared on top of the stack.
- Quotes
The Doctor: Once upon a time... Once upon a Time Lord... I had a best friend, and her name was Donna Noble. A Time Lord and a human... and we travelled the stars together.
Donna Noble: Sometimes I have dreams about impossible things. I dream of creatures and adventures and faraway skies. But none of it's true.
The Doctor: Donna saved the entire universe by taking the power of the Time Lords into her mind - at a terrible cost. She had to forget everything she ever knew. She had to forget me. Because if Donna ever remembers me, she will die.
Donna Noble: And now I've got a nice life, with a nice fella and a nice house, and the most beautiful daughter in the world... but I just think something's missing.
The Doctor: I can never see Donna again.
Donna Noble: Now the days are drawing in... I keep having more and more dreams. Like something's getting closer.
The Doctor: But now this face has come back. Why?
Donna Noble: It's like a storm in the air... about to break.
The Doctor: I think the story hasn't ended yet.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Breakfast: Episode dated 25 November 2023 (2023)
While the Doctor should never be portrayed as perfect, something most incarnations have no issue with achieving, he should also not be told to his face that he is stupid and it is because of his physical makeup, for the sake of a cheap laugh. The Doctor, after all he has done for the universe, deserves a lot more respect. Apart from that, the general messaging throughout the episode still evokes much of the eye rolling moral-lessons-without-substance-to-cushion-it that pushed many fans away from the franchise during Capaldi's era. While it is not wrong to have messaging, indeed, morals and messages have always been an important part of Doctor Who, the story should never work it so hard as to be inescapable, or integral to the plot. Doctor Who has always been at it's best when the message is secondary to the main story.
To that point, I have hopes that the second episode, without the baggage of reintroductions and establishing, very clearly, it's virtues, will be a better experience. We''ll see if that instinct is correct. Doctor Who has a lot of bad will to overcome from the fanbase, here's hoping there is more to it's supposed "return to form" than some familiar faces and unearned lectures.
- nargon
- Nov 27, 2023
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Camden Market, Camden, London, England, UK(TARDIS landing site)
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime57 minutes
- Color